Nicole Cord-Cruz
School
De La Salle University
Expertise
Budget Travel, Asian Destinations, Digital Nomad Life
- Nicole once drove 20 hours to Batad, a remote village in the Philippines, to visit the world-renowned Banaue Rice Terraces.
- Before she even thought about writing for a living, she ran an Angie's List-esque lifestyle blog on Tumblr, where she documented her trips and recommended travel hacks, shows and movies, lifestyle tips, and other interesting finds to an audience of over 5,000.
- In her early 20s, Nicole worked in a wide array of cities, including London, Tokyo, Singapore, and Manila.
Experience
Nicole joined Static Media in 2021 and has written for Nicki Swift, Explore, and Islands. Through her experience with multiple brands, she found that her best writing comes out when she's doling out tips on how to score the cheapest flights or find the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in cities all over the globe. Nicole discovered that she had a knack for writing when the poem she wrote for the school magazine in third grade turned out to be a haiku. Since then, she has resolved to become a professional wordsmith, stringing words together to tell a compelling story. Her career started in social media, where she had her fun crafting witty tweets and Instagram posts, and then shifted to tech, where she worked as a project manager and produced more briefs than she knew what to do with. But she later realized that storytelling is where her true passion lies and decided to shift to full-time writing. Over the years, she worked on various projects that enabled her to write nearly every type of content, from greeting cards to blogs to listicles to advertorials.
Education
Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in organizational communication from De La Salle University, where she was part of the dean's list for several trimesters. For her thesis and internship, she helped create social media and direct mail campaigns for Make-A-Wish Foundation to help more kids get their wishes granted.
Explore’s content is created by qualified and experienced writers and editors, bolstered by outside field experts. Our mission is to provide readers with well-rounded and accurate information by way of entertaining and engaging articles that deliver a diversity of content, including everything from detailed guides for exotic locales to easily accessible information on domestic travel.
Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process available here.
Stories By Nicole Cord-Cruz
-
Flying in coach can feel pretty restrictive, but with these strategies, you can actually comfortably get some work done during your flight.
-
After a long-haul flight, you may consider making one particular enticing mistake. However, it's best to avoid it to the best of your ability.
-
If you reside in California or happen to be visiting, consider stopping by one particular cruise attraction that's sure to please your taste buds.
-
If you're someone who likes to line up at the gate long before your group is called, be forewarned that flight attendants have a disapproving nickname for you.
-
Rental car pricing can be unpredictable, but sometimes there's no getting around needing one. A travel agent tells us how to land the best deal on your booking.
-
The cruise offers an ambitious itinerary of 147 countries and 425 destinations, with a 2 to 7-day stop at each port. Here's everything you should know.
-
For most people, it's essential to make the most out of their vacation days. Luckily, it can be done in 2024 by following the advice of one TikTok user.
-
Modern family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson has some modern travel tips. The cookbook author and foodie podcaster shares everything from packing to planning tips.
-
Most of us understand the bed bug risk of staying in a hotel, but we rarely think about getting bed bugs at the airport. Use this tip to avoid them.
-
Rideshares like Uber used to be a godsend for getting out of the airport but they're becoming increasingly pricey due to surcharges particularly in one airport.
-
TSA can be confusing -- can you bring peanut butter in your carry-on? What about a frozen water bottle? Here are tips to get answers quickly and online.
-
There are some tricks to getting perks when you check into a hotel. But don't take our word for it. We've interviewed travel expert Adriannea Smith for answers.
-
Traveling with kids is often funny, inspiring ... and stressful. You'll want to remember these tips from travel expert Pauline Frommer to help avoid meltdowns.
-
"Queer Eye's" resident style expert warned against trying too hard to fit in while traveling abroad, since it'll make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.
-
If you're a digital nomad, traveling for business, or even just on vacation and want to check your bank balance, finding a secure Wi-Fi network is essential.
-
Aspirin can be used for more than curing headaches. In fact, this unexpected aspirin hack might just save you (and your car) during your next road trip.
-
If you want to avoid being woken up in the early hours of the morning unexpectedly, then you'll want to do this when you check into your hotel room.
-
It's normal to experience homesickness or loneliness during a solo trip or a long trip away. Here are some tips that'll help you stay present and connected.
-
Everyone loves a good teen cult flick. Now you can celebrate the launch of the re-make of this 20-year-old hit film at two themed pop-up restaurants.
-
There's a famous traffic rule that is permitted in many states in the U.S. But this rule is slowly being restricted and even outlawed. Find out the details.
-
Learn more about Google Maps' exciting new and advanced features that can help you plan your next trip and navigate new destinations more easily.
-
You might not be thinking of summer yet, but if you're planning an international trip, you should. We've gathered many studies to find the best time to book.
-
Tray tables on airplanes are gross, at least microscopically. You'll want to bring disinfectant to avoid your hands and food getting contaminated.
-
Film buffs already know about Hollywood's Walk of Fame and the famous Hollywood sign. But you won't want to miss this theatre teeming with cinematic history.
-
This tip from Rick Steves might not be revolutionary, but it's a simple way to organize your packing and make sure you don't forget any essentials.
-
Europe is magical in winter. Whether you go during Christmastime or the slower winter season, here are tips from Rick Steves for traveling to Europe in winter.
-
Thanksgiving travel broke records this year, gearing up for an even busier month of travel in December. Here are some tips to help you manage the chaos.